More Magee places neededMagee now: U4D

University for Derry (U4D) says the extra student numbers would help address the expected surge in applications for places at Northern Ireland universities when tuition fees jump to an average of £8,400 in England in 2012.

“It is imperative for Northern Ireland as a whole that we increase the supply of graduates in the skill areas demanded by the modern economy – science, technology, engineering, maths and the creative industries,” said U4D chair, Padraig Canavan.

“But, just as important, we must also increase the supply of undergraduate places in Northern Ireland to meet the inevitable surge of demand here once tuition fees rise in England and Wales.

“We are already seeing massive competition for the sadly too few places offered by Northern Ireland’s two universities.

“This competition will substantially increase next year. Unless we see a rise in provision to meet at least some of this extra demand, there is a serious risk that fewer students from deprived backgrounds will obtain places at university.”

Mr Canavan said students from poorer families often face greater obstacles to succeed at post-primary level.

“They are likely to be the biggest losers if there are too few places to go round at Northern Ireland universities. It is essential for the equality and fairness agenda that students from disadvantaged backgrounds do not lose access to university education,” he argued.

“Ministers will shortly consider various options for university tuition fees. They are likely to decide to hold fees down at much lower levels than in England and Wales, which will, in turn, increase demand further for places in Northern Ireland.

“We appeal to ministers to recognise this inevitable increase in demand, to raise the student cap in response to this and to allocate all additional undergraduate places to the University of Ulster’s Magee campus,” he added.

The U4D chair said one option for ministers would be raising the student cap by 2k places with an extra 1k places in Belfast and Londonderry but argued a better path would be focusing all of this extra capacity in Magee.

“However, it is only be allocating all of this possible increase to Magee that the maximum short and long term economic advantage will be achieved. In doing so, ministers would be making the biggest step forward possible for the implementation of the city’s regeneration plan,” he said.

“Ministers should see this as the opportunity it is – to make Northern Ireland a talent destination, facilitate the retention of our own talent and put in place the cornerstone for regeneration of our second city,” he concluded.